The whole story of Jesus—incarnate, crucified, risen, and returning—must be central at Christmas . . . and God is using you to tell it to masses of children!

I’m sure most of us have heard the old hymn, “Tell Me the Story of Jesus,” written by the beloved hymnwriter Fanny Crosby in 1880. It opens with, “Tell me the story of Jesus. Write on my heart every word. Tell me the story most precious, sweetest that ever was heard.” The hymn goes on to do just that—telling the story of our Lord Jesus Christ and how He saved His people from their sins through His atoning death, burial, and resurrection.

It is a story that will be told again this Christmas at SGA-supported Immanuel’s Child outreaches held by faithful churches across the former Soviet nations. It is a story that thousands of children will hear, in addition to their parents and caregivers.

While many often think of Christmas only in the light of Christ’s birth, that is not the whole story. To faithfully share the biblical truth of why Christmas and the birth of Christ is so important, we need to complete the story. We need to tell not only of the Lord Jesus’ birth, but also why He came to be born in Bethlehem, as the Prophets foretold by the Holy Spirit’s inspiration. We need to answer the questions of who Jesus is, what He did, and why He did it. We must tell of how He died on the cross for our sins, and rose victoriously from the dead so that all who truly believe in Him can and will be redeemed. And that is exactly what our brothers and sisters will do as God opens the doors this upcoming Christmas season.

You—our faithful partners in ministry—have, by God’s grace, been with us in support of Immanuel’s Child outreaches from the day these SGA-supported outreaches began years ago. You have prayed. You have sent in financial gifts to help the churches purchase gifts for the children. You have signed the Bethlehem Stars that are delivered to the children along with the gifts, and those stars mean more than you might think. We have seen adults who were given a Star when they were children, and still hold on to it as a precious possession.

Please keep praying as the plans are finalized for this year’s upcoming ministries. Pray for the children and their caregivers who will hear the Gospel. And pray with us for a bountiful harvest!

For our Savior,

Michael Johnson
President